Draft-gear.



l. M. VAUGH.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AML-26, 1909.

LMSAMI Patented June 15,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l. M. WAUGH.

DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JAMES MILTON trauen, or emciieo, Humors@ naam-cushion'.

intensi.

Specification of Letters 'atent. Palimteiil i5,

Application mea april 2e, 190e. 'serial no. 492,302.

invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Draft-Gears; and I dohereby declare that the following-is a full, clear, and

exact' description of the same, reference bef ing had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

In the evolution of railway rolling stock, nothing has been morenoticeable than the constant increase in the weight and load capacity ofrolling stock, owing to the constantly increasing traffic, and-it hasbeen found that owing to such increase in weight of equipment and load,a draft gear amply sufficient but a -few years ago to withstand bufiingand pulling stress, is now quite insufficient to withstand the tgrifcstresses occasioned not only i-n buiing, but under actualrunningconditions.

Very numerous attempts have been made .to improve and perfect draftgeangand rigging to' a degree commensuratfwith the changing conditions,and from the simple splral spring constructions offa comparat1velyrecent time, powerful friction gears have been installed anT almostinfinite variety of spring v`fnicton gears have been put on the market,nonel of which have, asv yet, proven capable of absorbing, for any veryextended period of time, the stresses to which they are subjected inbuiiing and pulling. YIn consequence, very great expense is occasionedto railwaycompanies for constant repair of draft gears and draft riggingand for the repair of the car under frames because of the spreading ofcenter sills owing to the severe stresses exerted thereon -bythefriction gears and by the shearing of bolts 1n various parts of thedraft gear owing to the gear proving in capableof absorbing thestressesto which subjected..

The ob]ect of this invention is to provide a spring friction draft gearof such capacity .as to enable the same to absorb all ordinary 'buiingand the maximum pulling stresses with but exceedingly slight recoil andcomparatively slight inwardor outward travel of the gear under suchstresses and to afford.. in .connection with such a draft gear 'mallyinert in both pulling andibuin an auxiliary or supplemental gear noi g',all adapted to come into action onl under .bufg stresses beyond thenorma capacity 'of the main draft gear.

It is also an object of the invention to afford in connection with adraft gear an auxiliary or supplemental gear inert under pullingstresses and acting appreciably toabsorb only such stresses as arebeyond. the

normal capacity of thel main gear in bung.

It is a further object of the inventionto afford a draft gear embracinga plurality of groups of resilient friction plates, the plates of 'eachgroup being in mutual frictional engagement, and adapted to absorbbuiiing and pulling stresses fri'ctionally, and also because oftheirvresiliency to afordin connection therewith one or. more largerauxiliary groups of spring friction plates so disposed as to act onlyunder abnormal buR- ing stresses. Y

The invention embraces many novel fean tures and consists in the mattershereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined intheappended claims.

In the drawingsLFigure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view partly inhorizontal section of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is asection taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged in'ner vfaceview of the sliding abutment block'. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.l1, and illustrating a main draft gear constructed with spiral springs ina familiar manner. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal vertical sectionthereof: Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Flg. 4.

As shown in the drawings: A, indicates the parallel center sillsarranged as usual, or in any suitable manner as a part of the 'underframe of the car, and A', .the end sill. Rigidly bolted on the centersllls and ex.

tending below the same, are the check castings B, which extend from nearthe forward end of the carframe inwardly', if desired, to the bodybolster. As shown, l'said check castings each are constructed to aord achannel b, which fits upwardly around the v bottom and sides of one ofthe center sills A, and integrally connected therewith are downwardlyextending webs b', which are of a distance apart and of a width toreceive between the same the draft gear as shown in Fig. 6. Each of thewebs ZJ', ofthe check castingsis provided at the lower edge with 1, andalso is provided .between said innerbottom flange b2, and the bottom ofthe D is the rear follower block C', of the maino n the lower flanges b2of the check piecesor channel b, with .an inwardly directed, integralstop-D, which serves to limit the ,forward movement of the frontfollower block C. Supported to slide on the inwardly directed flangesb2, of said check castings are abutments or stops D', which/'arepositioned intermediate the stops D," and the rear cnd ofthe checkcastings or irons B.v For the purpose of retaining said niovable stopsD', in place, as shown, each flange b2, is longitudinally slotted,,asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and as shown inFigs. 3 and 4, a boltd, extends through the lower portion 'of said movable abutment D', andthrough the slot in the flange'V of 'said check castings,'thus'permitting said movable stops to sllde lon-` gitudinally l'ofthe'centersills to the extent -at leastof the length of the slot in saidflange. Bearing against said movable stops draft gear. A spacing orbearing block e5, having an outer convex face, bears against thefollower block C', and insertedto slide castings is a group ofstraightthin, flat, spring friction plates E, .composedofany desirednumber lof individual rectangular plates of adimension to nearly lill thspace l between the webs t', and between the under sides of the channelsb, andthe inwardly directed flanges t, of the check pieces.Bearingagainst said group of .springs E, .is a spacing block comprisinginwardly tapering wedge shaped members e, as shown, connected by a thinweb of metal e. affording in effect a concavellface on each side of saidspacing block. vBearing against said spacing block at its ends, isagroup of lsprings E', corresponding in all particulars with the group E,beforedescribei'and inserted-to bear against the same, isa spacing blocke2,

convex on each lside thereof longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 1, andagainst which a group of plates E2, bears at its middle.4

Bearing against the front face of said group of springs E2, is a doubleconcave spacing block c3, and 'inserted between the same and theinwardlydirected convex spacing block e, bearing against the forward followerblock, is a group of springs E. As shown,

the tail of the draft iron or coupler F, bea rs against'the frontfollower block C, and riveted or bolted thereto is the draw bar yoke F',which extends around the main draft gear just described, inclosing saidfollower blocks and groups ofplates and. spacing blocks there1n. Therear end of said yoke lies between the movable follower' blocks D.

Desirably, the number of plates in each group may increase from thefront toward therear group, as shown in Fig.` 1, in this 'dicated asawhole by,'H, and constructed D', asn before described, 'and' 'the mannerconveying the inward pressure in builing gradually from a smaller to alarger 'ward 'auxiliary follower block C2, concave on its rear face, anda rear auxiliary fol-l lower block C, concave on its forward face# asshown'in- Fig. 1'. Inserted between the 75 sameis a plurality of groupsof springs indicatedV `by E4 5,' each group having a greater` number ofplates than any of the groups of the main draft gear, `Vand separatingsaid groups E*- 5', is nan auxiliary 80 spacingv block e", in thisinstance inasmuch as the engaging face ofthe follower blocks are concavethe spacing block is convex on itssides longitudinally.'

The operation is as follows: The number of resilientfriction plates inthe groups E34-E, will,\of course, vary with ,the requirements inindividual cases, said auxil-v iary. draft gear being intended toreceive' l and absorb those excessive stresses in buiiing number ofplates to render the auxiliary draft-gear practicallylinert underordinary bufiing stresses. A f t'y I 1 v Asfshown, a carring plate G, isbolted or riveted beneath e check pieces or castings to support in partvthe yoke, as shown in Fig. 2, though this is not essential in' this 100type of: draft gear for-the reason that the yoke may be supported whollyupon the follower blocks and friction springs, if desired. Of course, ifdesired, such an auxiliary buiiing gear may be employed in, connectionwith other types of main draft gearsthan that shown' in Figs. l and2,and

as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a draft gear in.

of a plurality of spiral springs arranged 110 tandem, is engaged withinthe yoke F. The rear follower block C2 h'wever, in. that instance bearsagainst the movable abutment drifting stress is thereby delivered tolthe auxiliary 11 buliing gear as the main draft gear H. nears thelimitV of its absorbing capacity. lIt is- I therefore obvious that theauxiliary bufling Y malaise main draft gear, it follows that the yokecan never contact with the front auxiliary follower block C2, but thatinstead the di# rect pressure from the rear follower block C', and thegroups of springs when approaching their maximum compression 'is forwardtravel. Thus, if desired, the main 'draft gear may be constructed withrelatively low absorbing capgcity for pulling stresses, but taken inconjunction with the auxiliary buing gear, any desired absorbingpower'may be obtained in butling. Furthermore, by the use of theauxiliary buffing gear such as described, draw bar travel v isapproximately 1n each group, twice the` undercompression may beincreased to any 'desired extent in'conformity with recent requirementson certain roads.

By the use of ,comparatively thin, Hat, straight, rectangular plates ingroups in full bearing face to face in each group, I utilize vtheadhesive friction due tothe enormous bearing surfaces exposed topressure, which area of a single plate multiplied by the number ofplates in each group, and which, much more than the resiliency of theplates, tends to resist the flexing of the plates under pressure andacts to almost wholly absorb the recoil, rendering this type ofconstruction particularly valuable as obviating destructive recoil afterbuHing stresses, which sometimes results in the destruction of certainother types of draft and buiinggears.'

Of course, numerous detailsof the con;

y, struction may be varied, and numerous other variations and details ofconstruction and Napplication will suggest themselves such as Vvaryingthe number' of groups and the ar- A va main draft and buiing gear of anytype'.`

I claim as my invention:

i 1. The combination with a maini'draft and buiing gear, front and rearstops therefor, said front stop being connected to the side sills, of anauxiliary' buing gear l0- cated to the rear of said mainar andcomprising flat spring friction p ates arranged face to face in groups,and spacing members bearing alternately at the ends and-at the middle ofsaid groups, said rearstops constituting sliding spacing means betweensaid main and auxiliary gears adapted to transmit excessive buiingstrains from said main gear to said auxiliary gear. 2. The combinationwith a main draft and bufng gear including the followers, of a coactingauxiliary buiing gear in alinement therewith and embracing springfriction plates arranged face to face in a plurality of groups, bearingstherefor alternate at the middle and at the ends of the groups, andsliding spacing means interposed between the two gears acting tocommunicate excessive stress from the rear follower of the main gear tothe auxiliary gear.

3. In a device of the class described the draft arms, the main draft andbutling gear therein and the followers therefor, an auxiliary buiinggear in said draft Yarms at the rear of and in alinement with the maingear, and comprising duplicate flat spring friction plates arranged faceto face in groups, spacing members bearing alternately at the ends. andat the middles of the groups, and slidable followers interposed betweenthe main and auxiliary gear acting to communicate excessive stressesfrom the rear follower of the main gear to the auxiliary gear.

4. The combination with a main draft and builing gear, the yoke andfollowers therefor, of an independent auxiliary spring friction gearpositioned to compress in a direct line with the main draft gear, andslidable'followers, one on each side of the yoke and bearing against therear followerof the main draft and buiiing gear and the front of theauxiliary bufiing ear.

54. The combination with a main raft gear, of movable abutment blocksslidably supported on the under frame and against whichthe rear followerblock of the main draft gear bears, and anauxiliary resilient andfrictional buiin'g gear inserted at the rear of the movableabutmentblocks com'- prising transversely extending spring platesarranged in groups and against one group of which sai d movable abutment`blocks bear to deliver thereto butf'lng.` stresses beyond Athe normalcapacity of the main draft gear.

6. An auxiliarybuffing gear inserted at the rear of a main draft andbuiiing gear and the followers therefor and embracing a plurality ofgroups of relatively thin, Hat,

sprmg friction plates in frictionalzbearing.

1n each group for their entire face surfaces, spacing blocks arrangedbetween said 7groups to separate the groups alternately at their ends-and at their centers, and horizontally moving abutment blocks betweenthe auxiliary buing gear and the rear follower of the main buing gear.

spring friction buiing gear and its followers arranged at the rearthereof, and longitudnally 'slidable followers engaged between the rearfollower lof the main draft and buiing gear and said auxiliary gear,l

inert on pulling stresses and acting with the main gear to deliverexcessive' buiiing stresses to the auxiliary buiing gear when positionedcompress in. a direct line therewith, and slidable spacing means,interposed between the two gears, said means engaging the front followerof the auxiliary gear and the rear follower of the main gear on oppositesides of the said yoke.' y

In testimonyI whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.A

` JAMES MILTON WAUGH.

Witnesses:

K. E. HNNAH, LAWRENCE RmBsTEIN.

